Betrayal

“Hi,” Eun greets Yun-Oh in the hallway of a school building. “Hi, are we schoolmates again?” she asks. They realized that they have the same schedules for a few subjects. Yun-Oh will be taking fashion design and Eun is going to take Architecture. They go together to the cafeteria and Eun buys coffee for the both of them. “I don’t know what to expect, honestly. I am excited and nervous at the same time,” Yun-Oh says. Eun puts down the coffee cups on the table, and takes a seat in the opposite direction as Yun-Oh. They are facing each other, and Eun gives her a smile that comforts. “My mother is a fashion designer, maybe she can help you with your tasks,” he says as he stirs his coffee. Yun-Oh, surprised, wants to know who his mother is. “Can you introduce me to her?” He nods, and tells her that she can come to their house after class. He suddenly changes their topic as he remembers the tickets to the BTS concert that were given to him by Mari. “I just remembered, Yun-Oh, that you also wanted to see the upcoming concert in June?” She is unable to reply, and nods her head with amazement in her eyes. He tells her that he already has VIP tickets and asks her to go with him. Yun-Oh says that her friend wants to go with her, but Eun tells her that he only has two tickets. Yun-Oh gets up and goes near Eun, without saying anything, she hugs him from behind. People in the cafeteria look at them, with eyebrows raised. “Thank you Eun Lee, I cannot tell you how happy I am,” she says aloud. A student from the table across asks them. “What is going on?” to which Eun answers, “I just got her a ticket to the BTS concert.” The students are in awe, some of them also go near the two and ask Eun how much he got the ticket, and some are asking how he managed to save money. He tells them the tickets were given by Mari, his father's fiancée. A classmate comments how lucky Eun is to have someone as nice as Mari. He smiles, and becomes guilty as he feels like betraying his mother. When his classmates are done asking questions, Yun-Oh suddenly asks him. "Eun Lee, I hope you don't feel bad, but are you on good terms with your papa's fiancée? Is it not awkward?" Eun tells her that everything is going smoothly in his family. His parents divorced two years ago, and he is happy living with his mama. "Mama is a good person, she never wanted me to be angry with anyone, especially Papa." They smile at each other as they both leave the cafeteria, and continue to walk to their respective classes.

******

"What's the matter, Coree?" Says a man who walks into her office at home. "I can't find something to prove that it's mine." She wants to file a lawsuit against Mari for using her design without her permission. The dress which Mari has worn to her engagement was her design, Coree insists. Another fashion brand has made it into reality, which made it a bit difficult to file a case because a foreign designer claimed it as an original. Dong Kim has always supported Coree throughout her career, but he seems hesitant with the lawsuit. "If that design was yours, how did it happen to go to another designer? You mentioned that the gal is from Australia, maybe it was all a coincidence?" Coree shakes her head, she knows that her mother created the design which she had modified as she had placed crystals and pearls on it. "The neckline, the shoulder, the arms and waist, down to the very small details of hollow to floor, they were all the same. You think it's coincidence? I'd like to disagree." Coree is not happy with Kim's opinion. She thinks he is taking Mari's side and does not like it. She then takes a call, which this time is from her mother. She asks her how Mari got the design, and tells her that she saw the engagement going around the news today. Coree has to explain that she is doing whatever she can to do something about it. Yin, however, is worried because as her daughter is about to file a complaint against Mari, this may lead to a feud between Coree and Jae. After the call, she notices that Dong is no longer in the office. She tries calling her son whom she notices hasn't come home yet. She leaves a voicemail telling him to come home. She calls Han via the house intercom, and asks for a good cup of tea, she tells her she needs it to relax. She then closes her eyes, as she rests her back on the office chair, and remembers something. Two years ago, when Coree filed a divorce, Jae came to her parents' home and shouted outside. He confessed his love for her, and told her that no one could ever change the way they feel for one another. Mari came too, but she was asking Jae to stop what he is doing and told him that there was nothing they could do to apologize. Coree opens her eyes, Han comes in with a cup of hot coffee in a ceramic mug. "Are you alright, Coree?" she asks her. Coree nods her head, and then replies, "Han, I never remembered Mari apologizing to me. I mean, what she did to my family was," "Unforgivable, dear. She stole your husband." "Ex Husband," Coree smiles as she takes a sip of her coffee. "Would not be an ex if the bitch had not stolen him from you and Eun." Han is obviously on her side, and Coree is content with it. Han walks out the door and closes it behind her. "Why Mari? Why did you do this to me? I trusted you all my life," Coree says as she closes her eyes in dismay.